Youji and the Dimensional Witch
by Sybil Rowan
Summary: This explores Youji's desire and angst over Asuka during Kapital, Glühen, and post Glühen; it's with the back drop of him going into Yuuko's wish shop a couple of times. His making two wishes explains how he eventually lost his memory. Weiss Kreuz and xxxHolic crossover.
1. Chapter 1

Author: Sybil Rowan

Pairing(s)/Characters: Youji Kudou/Asuka Murase (Neu), Youji Kudou/Mayumi Tsuji, Youji Kudou (Ryo Itou)/ Asuka Itou. Mentions of Nagi/Tot, Aya Fujimiya/Asami. Implication of Ken Hidaka/Aya Fujimiya. Of course, hints of the xxxHolic characters in the background having complicated love lives, but nothing spelled out.

Rating: T

Summary: This explores Youji's desire and angst over Asuka during Kapital, Glühen, and post Glühen; it's with the back drop of him going into Yuuko's wish shop a couple of times. Weiss Kreuz and xxxHolic crossover.

Warnings: All the violence is the same people have seen in Kapital and Glühen. Ken calls Knight some harsh names behind his back, but nothing terribly dirty. Of course, I took some of the dialogue and actions from the Kapital and Glühen and put Youji's thoughts in.

Author's Notes: Okay, xxxHolic has been my pet hobby horse for several weeks. I didn't bother with it until lately. I started reading it over on Manga Fox and I'm totally hooked. It's the perfect setting to do crossovers with.

Disclaimer: Weiss Kreuz, its names and characters belong to Koyasu Takehito, Project Weiss, Marine Entertainment and Animate Film; xxxHolic, its names and characters, belong to CLAMP.

Beta Reader: WingedPanther73

Date: December 2, 2012, 6:45 am

Word Count: 19,516

Part One:

Youji looked up and noticed a girl dressed in a school uniform different from the regulars. She, unlike the other teen girls, was actually shopping and not flirting. He was impressed by her cascading, dark hair and her charming smile as she examined each arrangement. She was the type of girl, if she were just a couple of years older, he'd hone in on and ask for a date. She was certainly a stunning beauty. If Omi were here, he would encourage him to ask her out; she just exuded that much of a sweet gentle nature on top of her attractive appearance.

Youji made his way through the after school crowd and gave her smile. "You haven't been here before, have you? Anything I can help you find?"

"Yes, sir, I'd like to buy a gift for a very special person."

"A boyfriend?" Youji probed, hoping to hook Omi up, since he was so down after loosing Ouka.

"No, this is for a lady. My friend works at a shop and the owner did us a great favor. I'd like to send her my thanks."

"Oh? That's interesting." His detective's curiosity hit.

"Yes, she's a very elegant and intelligent lady. I need to show her my gratitude. She's something... something very special. So I need something uncommon or that conveys what I want to say to her."

The way the girl gushed, he wondered if the girl had some sort of oddly romantic school girl's crush on this shop owner. She was certainly getting pink enough on her cheeks. Now Youji wanted to see the type of woman that could elicit this sort of response in this beauty of a teen girl, but Ken was on deliveries today.

Youji got out his order pad and pencil from his apron and asked, "Your name?"

"Kunogi Himawari." She said brightly.

"Ahhh... sunflowers... Is that what you'd like to send to this lady?"

"Oh... I don't know...," the girl said blushing furiously now. "It might seem too personal."

Rather than embarrass the girl with his advice on how to approach someone she admired, he took a more innocent track and asked, "What message did you want to send to her?"

"That I'm happy again after she help my friend. You see, he's extremely important to me and she save his life."

"Oh wow, that is something interesting. Tell me what happened."

"I really shouldn't tell you details, Watanuki and the owner of the shop he works at are very private people."

"So this Watanuki... you want to send him flowers, too? You seem fond of him."

"I do, so very much. But... I just can't get close to him. Now wouldn't be the right time." There was a trace of sorrow in her eyes that pricked at Youji's heart. He couldn't imaging any teenage boy ignoring this girl at all; she was too much of a catch. "But at least our friend Doumeki can keep him company and can keep him from harm." Her eyes lit up again. "At least he has someone that can protect him."

There were some gaps in this intriguing puzzle for Youji, but Ken was really desperate to leave the shop and run around town. There was no way he'd trade so Youji could entertain his frivolous curiosity.

"Okay, you said you wanted to tell this lady you were happy once again. That would mean Lily of the Vally. They're a pure white flower." He guided Himawari to the cooler with vase full of them.

She gave him a bright smile and nodded. "Perfect! She'll love them."

"And the ribbon you want me to tie them with? What color?"

"Use these," she said, loosening her thick, lustrous pigtails and handing him the ribbons. They were identical to color of a soft white snow. "Two of my friends used these for something special before, so I want to give them to her as a thank you as well. She'll recognize them."

He took the ribbons and avoided looking at her wondrous, cascading hair that called his fingers to it. It was the most attractive thing he'd seen in months, and he wanted to avoid touching it; she was just too young for him.

"What is this special lady's name and address?"

"Ichihara Yuuko." Youji wrote down the name and then jotted down the address. He was about to protest because that was an empty lot, but the girl insisted he'd find her shop there. He knew Ken would get on to him for sending him on a wild goose chase.

Youji got the flowers and quickly tied them together with the two hair ribbons. He put them in a large gold box, and she smiled in approval and thanked him profusely. She paid for them in cash. Youji called Ken over. Ken was walking up behind the girl just as she was turning to leave. He brushed by her shoulder; she gasped and flinched from Ken. Suddenly, the ex-soccer player flailed forward, his left arm struck the edge of the counter with a hard crunch.

"Ken!" Youji knelt down and was shocked to see Ken's arm was broken. Ken was grimacing and clutching it in pain. Youji looked up and saw the girl was looking down with a haunted look on her face, the hint of tears were in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, and ran from the shop.

Aya walked over and there were plenty of teen girls that clustered around. "Youji, close the shop and make the deliveries for the day. I'll take Ken to the hospital."

"Yeah, sounds good." With that, Aya took Ken out the back door while Youji shooed the girls out. After locking the doors, he placed the orders in the van. He decided to take Miss Himawari's last.

* * *

Youji parked the van and took the large, gold box out of the back. He looked at the delivery slip and shook his head over the address; he'd hate it if that cute girl was playing some prank. He walked down the sidewalk where nice, modern buildings lined the street. He headed to the area where he knew an empty lot lay.

He spotted the wood fence and peered through the opening with large, red crescent moons atop polls that sat where the gate should be. His eyes narrowed and there was an older, traditional house in the lot. It looked as if it had been there for an extremely long time, unlike the surrounding buildings.

He noticed a scrawny, teen boy sweeping off the front pouch. The boy was wearing a bandanna and apron over a black school uniform. He stopped sweeping and looked up at Youji. For half a minute, it was as if the boy wasn't sure what to do. He then stepped off the porch and walked over to Youji at the front gate.

Youji was a little unnerved by the mismatched eyes behind the boy's glasses; the right one was a dull brown and the left one a bright blue. "I've come to deliver flowers to Ichihara-san. Is she in?"

"You're not a customer?" the boy asked, truly baffled for some reason.

"No, just flower delivery," Youji answered, now wondering what kind of services were offered behind the fence. His mind went to some more sensual ideas.

"I'm Watanuki, a part-time employee of hers. I'll take you to Yuuko-san," he said, beckoning Youji into the yard with a smile. He lead Youji into the shop, and then into a parlor off the foyer. "Yuuko-san, you have a flower delivery."

"Ah, how nice."

The woman was indeed what the girl said and more. Youji was instantly smitten. She was wearing a dark purple yukata with black butterflies adorning it. The yukata was parted so he could see her long, shapely legs and bare feet. She wore silver ankle bracelets with a multitude of bells adoring them. Best yet, her yukata drooped off of one of her alabaster shoulders, showing off the milky white upper swell of her bosom.

"Yes, a young lady wanted to give you a personal thank you for helping out her friend," Youji explained.

"Ah... It must be from Himawari-chan," Yuuko guessed, putting aside her long pipe she was casually dragging from. She sat upright from her fainting couch as Youji brought the box over. She yanked the top off and clapped her hands in delight. "Yes... happiness has returned to her, Lily of the Vally, how exquisite. It certainly is from Himawari-chan! What a wonderfully, sweet girl."

"Himawari-chan! NO, that can't be! I was the SICK one in bed! Why is she sending you flowers!" the heterochromatic teen shouted with flailing arms in the air. "It's SO unfair! It's bad enough having Doumeki to compete with for her attention! Now YOU? NOT fair!"

Youji flinched back and the loud teen's rant. "Wait a minute, kid. I was under the impression you were ignoring her? You mean you really like her?"

With that, Yuuko fell over on her side and cackled while Watanuki screamed and waved his fists at the ceiling. "Himawari, I love you so much!" Watanuki's head dropped forward. "Oh... Himawari... if you only knew."

"Hey, kid, you should let her know and just ask her out. She said she really likes you a lot. And I haven't seen a cuter girl than that," Youji butted in.

Yuuko stopped her laughter and sat up. She shook her head, growing slightly somber. Her gaze was now cast at her employee. "Watanuki's burdens aren't to be shared by her, but by Doumeki."

Watanuki produced another ear-piecing scream and looked as if he were having a face spasm. "I detest that guy!" he bellowed.

Youji was thankful Omi wasn't anywhere near this high-strung. Yuuko paused and looked down at the bouquet. She picked it up and held it to Watanuki nose. "See, she did send you something special. Remember them?"

"Oh! Yes, I do." Watanuki caressed the ribbons around the stems and adopted a gloomy demeanor suddenly. "That little girl and the hydrangeas... Doumeki helped. Himawari remembered."

"And now, because they were used in such a manner, and because of Himawari's bad luck, they have a certain negative energy infused into them. Extremely negative and full of plagues and sorrows." Yuuko took the hair ribbons off the flowers and found a little wooden box sitting on the coffee table. She put the ribbons in the ceder box with a skull carved on the lid. "One day they'll come out of storage, but you'll know when the time is right."

"Me? I wouldn't even begin to know how you organize that storage..." Yuuko cut off his complaint by pressing the box into his hand and curling her fingers around his.

"Just put them away, Watanuki, before you leave tonight." The boy slipped the box in his pocket and nodded with determination. Youji didn't know why, but he had a feeling the boy would absolutely obey his boss rather than try to steal the trinket as a memento of the girl he was infatuated with.

"Ah, anyway... I should be leaving. Let me have you sign for the flowers."

She signed the receipt. "Now, go get our customer some tea and a light snack," she ordered, picking up her pipe and giving it a light drag.

"Customer? Um, lady, I'm not sure what you sell here, but I'm trying to be a good boy," Youji said, half expecting to be propositioned, but something didn't feel right about that even though the woman was the apotheosis of sensuality.

She gave him a soft smile. "I sell wishes. And you have one. A rather large one that I can grant, or else your co-worker wouldn't have broken his arm and you wouldn't have been able to find this shop on an empty lot."

"What? How'd you know all of that?" Youji asked, getting a cold chill.

"It's all Hitsuzen," she replied, waving her hand at the chair across the coffee table from her. Watanuki left and Youji sat, waiting for tea and wondering about this woman. Maybe Himawari had called her and told her about Ken, but there was something deep inside that said it wasn't the case.

* * *

Half an hour later, Youji and Yuuko sat across a table with the most scrumptious homemade raw avocado lime mousse with rice crackers along with green tea laid out before them. She didn't engage in much conversation until her employee came back. He now looked properly demure standing behind Yuuko with a tray in clenched in his hands.

"Kudou-san, if you had one wish, what would it be?" Instantly his mind went to Asuka, but he was hesitant to bring it up to Yuuko. There was nothing to be done about her. "Tell me no matter how impossible it seems."

"I'd wish to see my old partner again, but she's... gone." Youji took a sip of tea to get rid of the dryness. "I'd wish to hold her, kiss her... tell her the things I should have said when she was alive."

"Your wish shall be granted. But there is a rather steep price for that wish."

"She's dead. You can't bring her back. And even if you could..." Youji paused, there was flutter in his stomach at the idea. "... what kind of price would you ask for?"

"She won't remember you. That is the price for your wish. Even if you try to convince her, she'll never know you again as anything but a stranger. She's living a different life now."

"She's alive? How do you know?"

"You, yourself, instinctively know who she is. You just refuse to believe it even though you desperately want to. Nonetheless, you can have a chance to be with her again. Do you agree?"

"To be with her again, but she wouldn't remember me?" Youji paused and thought about it. Would it be the same woman he loved without her memories? Still, if he could have a chance to woo her over from whatever life she was living now, shouldn't he take the chance? "Yes, I want to see her again."

"Fine." Yuuko held up a Lily of the Vally stem and ran her fingertips over one of the white, bell shaped peddles. "There will be a time when you'll leave your night work behind. You'll have peace, but it'll be short lived. That's when you'll meet her again. But I warn you..." Yuuko twirled the stem of the flower and it was now upside down between her finger tips. "...she'll not be the same no matter how much you try to make her Asuka again. Your peace will be short lived and you'll have to go back to doing your night work again because of her."

Youji's eyes narrowed. Somehow the woman knew about Weiss. She was hinting at it. He knew he should tell Omi or Manx, but he really didn't sense any danger from the woman. After mixing it up with Schwarz, he found himself believing more in the supernatural, so maybe she was like Schuldig.

He stood and flashed her a smile. "I can make a fresh start with her, if I have the chance. Thanks for the tea."

He was feeling cheery as he followed the slight teen out into the yard. Watanuki paused at the gate. The boy's mismatched eyes were fixed on something by his van. Youji turned and said, "I could send some flowers to that cute Himawari-chan for you. If you come over to the van, I'll take your order."

"No... I can't leave the shop right at this moment," he murmured and then bolted back inside the shop as if he had spotted something uncanny in the waning sunlight.

Youji shrugged and figured Himawari had strange taste in boys, but excellent taste in women. He headed back to the flower shop pondering what Yuuko had told him. If he had Asuka again, there was no way he'd have anything to do with Weiss. She was too important to him, certainly more important than Weiss.

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two:

It had been months now since Takatori had been destroyed and Weiss dissolved. Youji, at first, felt adrift. It wasn't long until he found a few freelance detective cases, small things like cheating spouses and crooked business owners. He didn't really want to move on to any larger projects for a while until he got Weiss totally out of his system.

Today was a nice summer's day. He gave himself the day off and offered to take a girl he had just met on a date for ice cream. The girl went to the stand when a woman in a red dress passed him. Her face chilled him. It was Asuka. He bolted after Asuka through the crowded streets and leaped in front of her path. The woman seemed surprised, she gave him a questioning look so he asked, "Asuka?"

"Kyoko," she said indicating herself while taking off her sunglasses. No, this woman was certainly Asuka, but he had to approach her slowly. She obviously didn't recognize him. He explained that she looked like someone he knew and that it wasn't a pick up line. Eventually, he talked her into going to a coffee shop.

After some initial awkwardness, she seemed to relax. It was a noisy bunch of teen girls Youji wanted to thank. They seemed to grate on Kyoko's nerves and she suggested going somewhere private. He suggested a weekend trip to the cabin and she was agreeable.

There was a glimmer of hope on the car ride when she rested her head on his shoulder and said that she felt a sense of déjà vu. He remembered a long time ago the words that the woman at the wish shop said. This was the real Asuka, but this Asuka was more refined, not as spunky. So the memory loss had made a difference, and he would have to treat her like a new woman if he were to woo her again.

He noticed he was being followed on the car trip to the cabin after they had stopped for groceries and wine. He easily lost the other car, worried his old life in Weiss was coming to rear its ugly head.

She seemed suitably impressed with the cabin. He cooked them a wonderful meal while she showered. They ate on the deck and watched the stars come out. He actually couldn't think of any other name but Asuka as he took her to the bedroom. After making love to her, she drifted off to sleep in his arms. His bliss and joy at having Asuka again started to get tainted with guilt as he recalled the name Kyoko.

He quietly left the bed and walked out onto the deck, pondering the bullet wound he had noticed on her back. He leaned on the railing and tried to talk himself into accepting the name change. He said to himself, "Kyoko. That's right, she's Kyoko... not Asuka... Asuka was trying to save my life, then..."

A wire wrapped around his throat, taking him totally off guard. He never pictured being in danger from Asuka. He was choking, losing air and she tightened the wire. A paper airplane distracted Asuka enough for him to push her back. She jumped from the deck and he could now see it was Neu that had snuck up behind him. A jolt hit him as he realized his instincts were right; Asuka was somehow Neu. All he could do was ask, "You...?"

She bolted off into the woods when a strange man appeared in the clearing. Yuuko's haunting words came back to Youji's memory, 'She won't remember you. That is the price for your wish. Even if you try to convince her, she'll never know you again as anything but a stranger. She's living a different life now.'

That's when he knew he had to defend himself until he could have another chance alone with her, to convince her to leave Schreient. He quickly went back to the old, abandoned flower shop for his wires. He wasn't surprised to see Aya and Ken already there, looking for protection as well. 'I guess Yuuko-san was right. Asuka.. Neu... sent me running back to Weiss.'

* * *

Youji woke up from the dream very disturbed. At first, it was a morning he remembered spending with Asuka. They had decided to go on a seaside vacation. She was trying to wake him early so they could watch the boats going out to sea together. He rolled over, and rather than Asuka, it was Neu trying to kill him.

He woke in a sweat and got out of bed reluctantly. He puffed on a cigarette to steady his nerves as he watched three crows on the electrical wires outside the apartment window. He wasn't at peace any more knowing for a certainty she was with Schreient and didn't remember him at all. He wondered what had happened to her after they were shot.

He had fallen unconscious and woken in a hospital with Manx by his side. At the time, Manx was a stranger that gave him news of Asuka's death, and indeed, she had pictures of Asuka in the morgue. That's when Manx made the offer for him to join Weiss, and he did so out of his pain and his quest to get back at the Liott Club. Now he wondered if Manx had lied to him, but it was too late to worry about that.

"Leave me alone, Asuka. It's my day off," he said, addressing Neu more than anything. Now that Weiss was active again, things seemed more chaotic and dangerous. He needed some peaceful down time. Later that night, Birman came to them with news of spines being ripped out people.

He was baffled, since there were really no obvious clues, but Birman informed them about something called Kundalini. It seemed that a group was out to steal spines for the life force, or Kundalini, contained in the spine. She provided a list of research laboratories that could be a front for the body mutilators.

Birman then informed Weiss that four women had been sighted at each place a spineless body was found. He felt a shiver and his skin grew hot; she said it was possibly Schreient. Asuka appeared in his mind's eye, and he just knew he'd have a chance to rescue her from the horrible life she was living. Yuuko's word's echoed in his mind, '...she'll not be the same no matter how much you try to make her Asuka again...'

He gritted his teeth and thought, 'I'll show you, you bitch. Asuka will remember me and I'll get her back, safe and sound!'

* * *

He and Ken broke into the first Kundalini research lab. Omi and Aya were at a distance, covering their backs. Ken was busy hacking into the computer and downloading information. A red whip cracked out of the dark and shattered the computer Ken was working on.

Youji jumped back and prepared himself for a fight. Ken leaped out of the window and he lost track of him in an effort to escape. Asuka jumped in front of him before he could follow Ken, and she started punching at him rapidly.

"Asuka? You're Asuka, right?" He was in disbelief that she would ever attack him like this. There had to be a fragment of memory somewhere to jar her back to reality. After all, the trip up to the cabin she had remembered leaning against someone like him.

"I don't need you to tell me who I am!" She landed her fist on his jaw, knocking him on his backside. A red whip flared out at his face.

Schön lashed at him and shouted, "Hey handsome, would you like to play around with me now?"

He looked over to Neu who stood back with a smile on her face, eyes unreadable behind her dark glasses. "Asuka? Don't you recognize me? It's me Youji!"

He held up a stool to keep the whip from hitting his face. Schön snarled, "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

He took the pause as a chance to leap up. He headed right to Neu. "Asuka!"

She readied herself and slammed a knee into his stomach, winding him. Then she landed a blinding set of punches and kicks all over Youji's body. He was too shocked to defend himself. Schön was cackling and Hell said, "Not yet. Beat him to a pulp first, then kill him. Make him regret ever being born."

She continued her onslaught, as per Hell's instructions. In his mind's eye he saw Asuka, as she once was. She cried out to him, "Youji!"

His mind engaged in the one-sided fight as Neu pulled back her hand with a growl. He grabbed it, swung her around, and clenched her in his arms.

"Let go."

"No."

"Let go!"

"I won't."

Her body slackened in his arms. Schön screamed, "Neu, what are you doing?"

Ken came smashing back into the lab through a window. He shouted at Schön, "I will be your date!"

Aya came charging in through the door. "Schreient!"

He took a slash at Hell, but she and Schön leaped out the smashed window. There were some squealing car tires. That's when Neu landed two elbows on Youji's stomach and tried to leave with the rest of Schreient.

Ken ran over to Youji, who was on the ground. "Youji!"

They stood in time to see Hell behind the wheel of their pink VW Bug. Schön and Tot were inside already. Hell was trying to run Aya over, however, one of Omi's crossbow bolts hit the roof and startled Hell. She swerved and hit Neu instead. Youji watched in horror as she lay motionless on the ground.

"Asuka!"

The pink VW Bug sped off into the night without retrieving Neu. Youji scrambled over to Neu and felt a wave a relief sweep him when could see she was still breathing.

* * *

He was helping her put on one of his shirts when Ken came knocking on his door, announcing "Youji, I'm coming in." No doubt the ex-soccer player was too used to living with three other men. Ken barged in, unaware there was any reason to suspect he could embarrass himself or the occupants.

The shocked and embarrassed expression on Ken's face was priceless. Youji finished helping Asuka put on one of his shirts and asked, "What is it?" to Ken.

A flustered Ken was blushing profusely before slamming the door shut. He could heard Omi out in the hallway call Ken weird, and Ken trying to franticly stop him from coming into Youji's room. Youji helped Asuka settle on his bed; then he went over to the door. They paused and looked up at him.

Omi asked, "What did the doctor's say?"

He reported her condition and sat beside her, laying his hand on her shoulder as she drifted off to sleep. He couldn't take his eyes off of her or stop smiling at her. This was good fortune. He would have lots of time to help her remember what they once had. He was going to prove Yuuko wrong. He'd go find that shop once Asuka was recovered and tell Yuuko to take all of her talk of Hitsuzen and shove it.

Omi laid some medicine for Asuka on the the nightstand, and Youji gave him a sincere thanks. It wasn't long before Omi and Ken were out to check out more labs. Youji stayed by Asuka's side, gazing at the full moon, daring the night sky to snatch away his happiness.

A soft touch on his bruised check startled him. He turned to see Asuka. She had a distressed expression. "Did I do that?"

He grabbed her shoulders, hope was bubbling up inside of him. "Asuka, did you remember something?"

"Ouch!" she said, pulling away from him and crawled to the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm just... My head hurts when I try to remember."

He laid his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, don't try so hard. You can remember a little bit at a time."

Her smile was warm and her eyes were so trusting. No, she had hadn't changed from the person he had fallen in love with, not deep inside.

"Youji..."

Aya came into Youji's room, uninvited, with a dour face. He addressed Asuka with a flat tone. "Tell me where my sister is."

Youji knew he should be understanding towards Aya, but this wasn't the time. "I don't know," Asuka said, standing from the bed. Aya lunged at her and started shaking her shoulders. His eyes were smoldering in anger.

"Where is my sister!"

"Hold it!" Youji got in between Asuka and Aya. He was about to take a swing on the redhead when Omi and Ken came charging in to break things up. "Please leave her alone for a little while! I'll ask her about your sister."

Ken was struggling to hold Aya back when Omi said, "That's fine, isn't it, Aya!"

Aya marched out, certainly not mollified. Youji knew if he had any hope of reaching Asuka, he'd have to do it without the rest of Weiss around.

* * *

"Ah... Watanuki, that full moon is particularly lovely," Yuuko declared before polishing off her cup of sake. She waved the cup at her part-timer and he scowled at her.

"I just filled it up! More! All ready? Mokona, you better pace yourself better! You're as bad as she is," Watanuki griped at the little black, ball curled up on Yuuko's lap in a buzzed state.

"Tonight is surely a night for complaints," she said with a small frown. "You and an unhappy customer are sure a wet blanket on this moon gazing party."

"Unhappy customer?" Watanuki asked, looking back into the house to see if someone had shown up. He turned to look at her when she didn't answer right away. She looked up at the moon and then turned her head to give him a serene smile.

"When a wish is granted there is always a chance that the results won't please the customer. People think they're wishing for happiness, they think they're getting their way, but eventually Hitsuzen will have its way and they get what they wished for, not the happiness they thought it would bring. It's unbreakable. Alway keep that in mind, Watanuki." He nodded somberly pondering what she said. "Just like it's inevitably that you'll fill my sake cup," she said in a sing-song way with a cheery smile.

"I swear you are the biggest lush in all of Japan!"

* * *

She couldn't walk around in his clothing, so he naturally thought to take Asuka to her favorite boutique. He had accompanied her plenty of times, always happy to lend his opinion on what looked best on her. Asuka picked some outfits and went to go change.

He chatted with the sales clerk he used to see quite frequently. His eyes lit on a hat that was the same style Asuka used to have. He was about to get it for her again, but she stepped from the changing room in an elegant dress, rather than her normal, casual attire. He was stunned at her her new appearance, but it wasn't in an unpleasant way. He got a little uneasy when she didn't remember shopping there.

He thought another way to jog her memory was to take her to her favorite restaurant. He decided to test her, let her pick where she wanted to eat in the ocean view restaurant. His heart sank when she picked a dark corner rather than a window seat. He wasn't going to let that deter him.

She explained that she was afraid of well lit places. He kicked himself mentally. It was too soon to treat this as if it were old times. He had to accept that loosing her memories had changed her some. He had to learn to accept those changes right now and gently coax her back to old self. He had to remain persistent, but he was disturbed about what dark things she'd been through while they had been apart.

He brushed aside that dark train of thought and lofted his wine glass. He'd remain upbeat for her. He christened the day the anniversary of their new life together and was pleased to see a soft smile on her dark lips.

* * *

After lunch he took Asuka to an obscure hotel, he headed back to Weiss. He had to straighten things out with Aya. He overheard them grumbling about not turning up anything at the rest of the Kundalini research labs. He waited until Aya grilled Ken about Youji's whereabouts.

Aya then spotted him in the shadows. He marched over and demanded, "Where is Aya-chan?"

"I haven't asked her yet."

"Then I'll ask."

"Go ahead. But I won't tell you where she is."

Aya clutched the front of his shirt. He was in a murderous rage. Omi grabbed Aya from behind and pulled him back from Youji. "Calm down! Both of you!"

Ken got in Youji's face. "You know how Aya feels, why don't you help him out?"

"Fine, but if she has no memories what good is it to harass her?" He felt as though that question should be something he needed to ask himself. He pushed that thought aside and decided to take another verbal poke at Aya. "Or will you torture her until she confesses?"

"But what if you're being fooled?" Ken's logical question shot anger through him, and he landed a punch right on Ken's jaw in reflex. Had he made a foolish wish with Yuuko? Ken's question cruelly mocked his failure to get Asuka anywhere close to her old self. This was Asuka, but once again, he was taunted with the price for his wish. 'Your peace will be short lived and you'll have to go back to doing your night work again because of her.'

Youji turned to leave. Ken got to his feet and asked calmly, "You're coming back, right?"

He turned and left before anything further was said. He was going to be persistent and win her back. The way to do that was to get Asuka to remember which Kundalini research lab was harvesting spines from innocent people, so he could be done with Weiss and take her away to some place private.

It was time for him to do something drastic so that her mind would latch onto any memory. He picked her up from the hotel and drove her in silence to the warehouse by the dock where they were shot. He walked her towards the spot and said, "Here it is."

She grabbed her head, eyes wide in distress. "I... that's right... I was..."

"That's right. You're Asuka!" he said, grabbing her upper arms. Hope coursed through him. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"And then I was Neu."

"Yes! You have to remembered where that lab is or I can't finish this mission and leave Weiss. I need to create a life with you free of Weiss and Schreient. Tell me so we can leave it all behind and regain our happiness."

Her eyes dropped to one side and she nodded. "Yes... it was that first one you searched. The one we fought at."

"But we didn't find anything."

"That's because the real Kundalini lab is located in the basement. Also, the girl we kidnapped is there."

"That's it! Come on, Asuka." He pulled her along with him, anxious to leave this place behind and start new.

* * *

"Yeap, it seems like it." Youji was grateful to see Ken smiling at him rather than holding a grudge. He had left Asuka in his room at the apartment he shared with Weiss. They'd all agreed to this mission. After some assurances they broke into the basement laboratory with several spines encased in glass.

Youji said, "They certainly have bad taste."

"Aya-chan where are you?" Aya called out.

"She's not here," Tot's childish voice called out from above. The ladies of Schreient were standing on a balcony above them without Neu.

"Welcome, foolish men of Weiss," Hell said.

"Poor things fell right into our trap," Tot said. Dread stabbed at Youji's heart; what if Ken were right and he had been played for a fool. What if Yuuko were correct and Asuka was a stranger to him?

"How does it feel to be betrayed by one of your own?" Schön asked, looking right at Youji.

"Betrayed?" Ken asked, not putting it together as quickly.

"Here goes," Tot said, yanking a rope. The room rumbled.

"What's this?" Ken asked

"An earthquake?" Omi asked, before the floor fell out from underneath him.

"Omi!" Ken shouted just as spikes dropped from the ceiling, everyone scattering from the chaos.

"Ken?" Youji called out, unable to see his teammate through the thick smoke.

"I'm okay, but Omi is hurt," he called out.

"You better pay attention or we'll kill you," Tot said. With that, Tot, Hell, and Schön leaped down at them. Youji watch Hell knock Aya to the ground, and he went to the redhead's defense. He got out his wire, about attacked Hell, when Asuka jumped in the way. He was surprised to see her, dressed as Neu once again.

He paused. "Asuka?"

"Cut it out, that gives me the creeps," she said coolly. She had a sly smile now. "It was all an act, and you didn't doubt it for a second." There was some commotion going on behind him, but he was fixated on this new, horrid Asuka. "You're just clinging to stupid memories..."

"No! You're..." He paused, realizing the full horror of his wish coming true and the price he had paid for it.

"No, I'm Neu. I'm Takatori Masafumi's assistant, body guard, and his..."

Youji's stomach turned sour, and he couldn't bear the next word she was about to say. The crack of Schön's whip sounded in his ears behind him. 'I wish she would have really died that day!'

He could hear Ken's frantic yelling for help in the background. It brought him around again to his persistence. "Asuka, try to remember."

She now had a gloating smirk. "Ha! Asuka, Asuka, what a pathetic man. Every time you call me Asuka, it makes me sick."

"Asuka..."

"How pitiful, you really don't get it, do you?"

"No, you are Asuka."

"You and your simple ambitions, are you really a man?" she mocked. "Not like my dear Masafumi..."

"Your Masafumi..." The breath left him as he realized this Asuka was twisted into something that was a filthy perversion of the one he knew and loved.

"Die!" she shouted and lunged at him with her fist. He flung himself backwards to avoid her. "But killing you doesn't avenge him! I'm going to torture you and you'll die slowly in pain!"

She landed on his body and pinned him to the ground. She grinned and chuckled maniacally. "What a fool." She wrapped her hands around his throat. His mind went to some of his fond memories of Asuka as the reality of the situation hit. It was either fight her or die.

His hands quickly got a hold of several strand of wire and he looped it around her throat before she realized what he was doing. He pulled it tight. She grasped at it and let go of Youji's throat, flinching back to get away from him. In a flash he had them on their feet and he was able to flip her over onto his back, where she was thrashing around, her feet unable to reach the ground to get out of the hold.

He kept the wires tight and put on even more pressure, he was blinded by his rage at her betrayal with Masafumi. Known or unknown, the idea of her loving another man was too much. His persistence came to its end as he realized the old Asuka was truly dead and this new one was hellbent on killing him.

She struggled to get air and thrashed. Youji held her tight as he forced himself to stay hardened against her. If she would have begged for mercy, he would have granted it. Instead, she did the one thing to seal her doom.

"Masafumi..." she gasped. "I love you."

The scream ripped itself from his chest as he pulled the wires tighter, snuffing out Asuka's twisted existence as Neu.

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Part Three:

Youji stumbled down the street, not carrying about his ragged, bloodied appearance. He'd just killed his Asuka and he was going to get answers from that witch he had made the deal with. He stumbled down the sidewalk and got to the empty lot with the fence around it. Nothing was there, no house or anything. He screamed in frustration and punched the fence.

He paused when that heterochromatic boy stepped cautiously from the gate and glanced around the street, he wasn't aware of Youji yet. The boy grew vexed and shouted, "Doumeki! Where are you already! You're suppose to walk me home!"

Youji stumbled over, reached out, and grabbed the front of Watanuki's school uniform. He yanked the teen over and then slammed him hard against the wood fence. The boy looked suitably afraid when Youji got into his face and laid a gloved hand on the boy's slender throat.

"Where's that woman you work for!"

"Yuuko-san has gone to bed! The shop is closed," Watanuki babbled, struggling to get out of Youji's grasp. Youji slammed the teen into the fence again and tightened his grip on Watanuki's throat.

"You get her to come out now!"

"No! You leave Yuuko-san alone!" Watanuki shouted in rebellion, heedless of the threat Youji posed to him. His eyes were full of determination to keep Youji away from that woman; it only fired Youji's fury to a higher level. Some strange boy wasn't going to keep him from his quest.

He choked harder. Watanuki struggled to get away, but refused to comply. Youji backed away slightly, turned Watanuki towards the fence, and twisted the boy's arm behind his back. He cried out in pain, but Youji ignored it. He shoved Watanuki against the fence and twisted harder.

"Get her now or I'll break it," Youji threatened as the boy whimpered and gritted his teeth.

"No!" Watanuki growled, shaking his head. "I don't care what you do to me! I won't get her if you're like this!"

Suddenly, Youji was shoved back into the street. He shook his head and about lunged for Watanuki again, but now there was a taller teen standing in between him and Watanuki. The shop's worker grabbed the back of the other teen's school uniform and slumped against him, murmuring, "Doumeki..."

The taller, well-built teen had a grim determination and looked as if he were ready to fight Youji if he came anywhere near Watanuki. Fine by Youji, he was looking to take out his anger on someone.

"Kudou-san, I'd recommend you rethink what you're about to do to my part-timer." He looked over where Yuuko stood at the gate, wearing only a light blue nightgown that didn't leave much to the imagination. "Doumeki isn't the only thing you'd have to worry about if you caused any harm to Watanuki. He's made several very powerful friends since he's been in my employ." She pointed across the street.

He saw a young maiden in a pink kimono; tiny light blue orbs surrounded her like fireflies. The young maiden looked extremely worried. Another girl was there, too. She had an umbrella slung over her shoulder and a really nasty expression. He wasn't sure about what those girls could do, but he had a feeling he wouldn't want to find out.

"But most of all, Kudou-san..." He looked back at the woman standing in the gate. Her eyes narrowed as she gave him a frosty expression. "... you won't want to deal with me if you lay one more finger on Watanuki. After all, your complaint is with me."

"Fine! It's you I wanted to see, anyway," Youji got to his feet, glaring at the woman.

She turned to the two maidens and said, "It's a dissatisfied customer, but there won't be any more trouble."

In a flash, the maidens disappeared. Youji shook his head, too tired and emotional to question Yuuko about the maidens. He turned back to Yuuko, not really surprised that he was now able to see her wish shop. Yuuko turned to the boys. "Watanuki, please go inside and get us some bourbon. Serve us in the front parlor."

Watanuki nodded. Youji watched Doumeki take Watanuki's hand and lead him back into the house. Now, Youji felt extremely embarrassed about harassing an innocent kid. Watanuki didn't have anything to do with this situation. He looked over at Yuuko and glared at her. He was still furious with her, though.

He followed her into the parlor. Watanuki served them bourbon and quietly stood behind her fainting couch, Doumeki joined Yuuko on it. Youji sat on a winged back chair, and took a sip of the best bourbon he had ever been served.

"I'm so sorry, kid. I didn't mean any harm."

"It's okay. I'm sure you had a very good reason." Watanuki said, giving him a kindly smile. He noticed Doumeki didn't look as forgiving.

Yuuko, on the other hand, frowned a little. "This meeting is yours, Kudou-san."

"You screwed me over, you bitch!"

"Don't you call Yuuko-san that!" Watanuki snapped, now glowering at Youji. Yuuko held her hand in the air to still any further outburst from Watanuki.

"You agreed to the terms of the wish. You wanted to be reunited with your lover, but you didn't like the cost of the wish, which I warned you, would be her memories."

"But she wasn't the same person! That wasn't Asuka, not at all."

"It was her physical body. You even saw the scar from the bullet wound when your ways were parted. It was the same woman you were partnered with back when you were a detective."

"But she was changed."

"Of course. She became a blank slate after she was shot. Anything could have been written on her afterwards. Her life was hard after that and a new person came and rescued her from it."

"Masafumi," Youji spat out hatefully.

"Yes, her meeting with him was inevitable."

"What happened to change her?"

"If I told you, it'd cause you even more anguish."

"I have a right to know!" Youji downed another shot of bourbon, and Watanuki refilled it wordlessly.

"Liott found her after you passed out. They fixed her bullet wound and forced her into prostitution. Eventually, she was sold to Kourin for medical experiments. That's when Takatori Masafumi stumbled on her. She was trying to escape. She quickly recovered under his protection and assumed her position as his body guard... and yes, then his lover."

The air left Youji's lungs and his stomach clenched. "You were right. I wished you wouldn't have told me."

"What does your tattoo say?" Yuuko asked, taking a sip of her bourbon.

His hand when to his upper arm, confused that she would know he had one under the thick, navy sleeve. He thought half a minute and then he said, "When you gonna learn?"

"Exactly," Yuuko said dryly.

"Why didn't you tell me all this before granting my wish?"

"I told you everything you needed to know. It wouldn't have changed your mind to know all those details. You would have still thought you could change her back into the Asuka you knew, and she would still pick her love for Masafumi over you. It's all Hitsuzen."

"Then I never had a chance to have her back? Not really. Is there a way to bring her back? I... I..."

"There is no bringing her back now," Yuuko said. Watanuki suddenly gasped. Youji looked up to see those mismatched eyes were glued on Youji's gloved hands. "What you're seeing, Watanuki, is what happens when someone commits murder."

Youji looked down at his own hands. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. He yanked his gloves off, there was nothing visible on his skin. "How did he know? How did you know?"

"Eventually, it will grow into a bigger stain and manifest itself in an unpleasant way in his mind," Yuuko addressed Watanuki, who quit gawking and looked down at the floor.

"In other words, he'll start seeing her, talking to her even?" Doumeki guessed.

"Of course," Yuuko said, and turned back to Youji. "So what now, Kudou-san?"

"I want another wish. If you can't bring her back, then make me forget."

"The price will be steep," Yuuko warned. "You'll have to abandon all your good memories of Asuka as well as the bad. You'll not be a detective any longer or live such an exciting life, but it will be a good life and very ordinary."

"What are you going to want?"

"You'll have to pay with a broken heart and the loss of your friends."

Youji's lips tightened. "My heart is already broken."

"But it'll heal over the next several months. Eventually, you'll meet someone special you won't be able to resist. You'll even turn on your friends to protect her. That's when your memory loss will occur."

"Do it tonight," Youji pleaded.

"No. You need to stay in the game because there's a threat out there to the natural order of things. One that's extremely large and would even attempt to twist Hitsuzen to their purposes."

"You mean Eszett."

"No, a force even stronger than them." She gave him a sly smile. "Schwarz."

Youji took that in. Crawford and his crew must be even more psychotic and powerful than he originally thought. It meant they had to have something big up their collective sleeve and it had to be stopped. He was going to have to be a part of that.

"Okay, I accept," Youji said, standing. "I'll find my way out. Thanks for the bourbon and... I am sorry for roughing up your employee."

"It happens a lot," Watanuki said dryly. Youji left the shop with a heavy heart and made his way back to the rest of Weiss, waiting at their shared apartment. He was grateful they gave him his space.

* * *

Youji avoided looking at Aya. He knew what the man was going through right now. This mission at the Koua Academy had taken a turn for the worst. Aya's new girlfriend, Asami, had just been brutally murder along with one of the girls from the school. And then there was Tsuji; she plagued every thought Youji had with her attractive body and tempting offer. Was this what was promised to him a long time ago by that wish-granting witch, Yuuko?

He could picture himself running off with Tsuji and creating a new life with her, only he needed to be free of Weiss and he needed to be free of his visions of Asuka. He had been talking to her more and more. She now was appearing before his eyes on a regular basis, but thankfully, always as the women he knew. That creature, Neu, had never shown up except in his most ugly, dark dreams.

Ken was starting to grate on Youji's nerves as he whined about being stuck in this hideout and about all the needless death. He wanted to jump up and tell Ken off. The hot-headed, ex-soccer player was on his feet and ready to go, in spite of Rex's warnings. The door suddenly opened and he saw Omi for the first time in months.

He watched Omi cross the room as Ken pegged him as the new Persia. Youji was a little surprised to hear Omi was going by his original name, Mamoru Takatori. He then declared the mission to finish off the Koua Academy and his wish for them to join him. Youji didn't have to think twice. This Koua Academy had an evil hold on Tsuji. His Tsuji that was offering him the blissful freedom of forgetfulness.

The part that didn't sit well with Youji was when Omi announced the assassination for Tsuji Mayumi. The others gave their assent, but Youji hung back. His heart breaking at the idea of having to kill another lover during a mission was unbearable. He'd go alright, but to protect Tsuji.

* * *

He walked towards the Koua Academy with the other members of Weiss. He steadied his nerves, they were jangling in spite of the wine he had before this moment. Shimojima, one of Omi's targets, was waiting with a bunch of students in front of the main research lab.

Of course, to Youji's consternation, Shimojima blathered on like an arrogant jerk. And of course, Aya put out a biting, dry insult. Shimojima then gave the order for the students to attack with a furious shout.

The engagement started. Youji found himself holding back, thinking about how he could get to Tsuji and find forgetfulness. Yuuko had granted his wish by putting Tsuji in his life, he had to just find her. He felt a fist sink into his stomach. He ducked and let Ken finish off the student.

"Youji, you're moving slower than normal!" Ken chastised. Omi snapped at Ken for being too rash when Shimojima removed a gun from his jacket. The flurry of battle paused.

The man fired at Aya, but the bullet paused in midair before hitting ground. Youji's mouth went dry at picturing the one person he knew who could do that: Nagi Naoe. If he was around, Crawford and company were sure to follow. And that would spell huge trouble.

Youji laughed in his head when Shimojima urged his students to attack Nagi; fat lot of good that would do. Sure enough, Nagi had them pinned with his mental abilities and kept advancing on Shimojima. The man then turned the gun on himself, seeing how futile it was to confront Nagi. The students now laid around their feet, crushed and writhing in pain.

Youji, no matter what issues he had with Schwarz, still had a warm spot for Nagi. He remembered the first blooms of romance he'd witnessed between Nagi and Tot. It was sweet, pure, and gentle. Youji's wondered if Crawford, Schuldig, and Farfarello had numbed Nagi to the kind of joy he could have with such a tender love. Youji looked at the crumpled bodies at his feet and the apathetic expression on Nagi; he doubted Crawford had taught Nagi a thing about love.

Aya then turned to confront Nagi, but Omi intervened, explaining there was some sort of truce between the two young men. Youji didn't buy it for a minute. Nagi was Schwarz, first and foremost. The four of them were twisted freaks that would no sooner turn on one another than the sun would rise in the west.

Sure enough, Nagi went to join the rest of Crawford's sideshow in the building to polish off another set of freaks lurking about. Good enough for Youji. It was when Aya went towards the building that Youji snapped. He wasn't losing his chance at a new, fresh life without Asuka haunting him every minute.

His wires lashed out and wrapped around Aya's throat. The redhead look as close to stunned as he ever got. He asked Youji, "What's the point of this?"

"Don't move! I can't let you go." Aya made no move to stand down. "Listen to me!"

"What's gotten into you, Youji-kun?" Omi asked in wide-eyed shock.

Sena called out in concern for Aya. Youji became irritated with the kid's idol worship of Aya. The redhead turned to face Youji with narrowed eyes. "You understand if we face one another, one will die. Either you or me."

Aya's eyes were lethal, but Youji didn't back down. Youji was confident it wasn't him. Yuuko had granted his wish, therefor, he had to live to have it fully granted.

Ken intervened with a good natured smile and, "Hey now... Man, you're just tired. I mean, you were in Europe, and as soon as you get back, it's this. Wait, are you serious?"

Yes, his wish was going to come true, in spite of Weiss. "I'm going to be reborn. Throwing out Weiss and everything from my memory. I'm going to turn into a new being!" He was claiming his wish from Yuuko now, the rest of Weiss could go leap off a cliff.

Aya asked, "With Eszett's cursed ways?" Youji froze, would Yuuko provide a malevolent way for him to escape his past? Surely pursuing Tsuji was what the witch intended.

"Nothing can be worse than this."

"You think it's that easy to escape?" Aya asked, still not backing down. "Just by erasing your memory and forgetting everything? Are you happy with merely tricking yourself?"

"Is that not allowed?" he asked, wondering if Yuuko had built one great deception for him. Was it going to be like last time where Asuka was irrecoverably changed? Was his wish going to be tainted in sorrow? "Tell me, why do all of us have to suffer so much? Tell me! I don't even know why we're fighting any more! I don't want to fight any more. I don't want to kill; I don't want to betray or be betrayed! I just don't want to be hurt any more. I'm sick of it all."

"Youji-kun..." Omi whispered somewhere beside him.

Then Yuuko's face came to his mind as he raged to Aya, "Is this what you wished for? Is this what you wished to be?" He had to know, if Aya were sitting across the table from Yuuko, what would he request from her now that his sister was healed. "Answer me!"

Aya didn't respond, Youji kept the wire tight. He was desperate for an answerer and he got it when Aya turned and held his katana in a defensive position. They were frozen in a battle of wills.

* * *

Youji tightened his pull on the wire around Aya's neck. Aya's katana flicked to the side and easily sliced through Youji's wire. He backed off slightly and watched Aya loft his katana.

Aya kept his katana pointed at Youji. "I'll take care of this. You guys continue on the mission."

He glared at Aya. "I won't let you get to Tsuji! I'm going to be reborn!"

He had to stop Omi from continuing, so his next attack with wires came at Omi, which Aya blocked. Aya looked back at Sena, Omi, and Ken. He ordered, "Hurry and go!"

"Aya-kun," Omi breathed, eyes wide in shock. There was a stab of guilt at going after Omi, but Youji quenched it when he remembered Omi ordered the hit on Tsuji.

Sena was the first to bolt. Ken yelled after him and ran after the green kid. Omi appeared torn until Aya shouted, "Persia!"

Omi remembered his new role in life and went after Sena and Ken with a hard determination Youji didn't like. Youji made a half-hearted try to stop Omi, but Aya put himself in the way, lofting his katana. Youji's blood boiled, feeling agony at Ken's loyalty, Aya's stubborn nature, Omi's determination.

"So is that your answer?" he asked, hoping in vain that Aya would understand and back down. After all, he'd just lost Asami in a horrific way. He, of all people, should understand wanting to abandon pain.

* * *

"Yuuko-san, those Lily of the Vally Himawari-chan gave you, the last pettle just fell off," Watanuki observed as he finished dusting the parlor. He assumed she put some enchantment on them because they had remain fresh in a small white vase for months on end. Just recently, the poor things had started wilting. "Maybe I can take them to Ame-Warashi to look at?"

He turned to Yuuko when she didn't reply. She smiled brightly. "It'll come back in bloom within a few days. Then you can go deliver it to a sick customer."

"You mean Kudou-san?" Watanuki asked.

"Yes, because there will be a return to happiness for him, whether he tries to reject it or not."

* * *

Youji launched his wire at Aya's katana. It wrapped around and they where once again struggling against each other. He tightened the tension, and Aya lost his grip on the katana. It went flying towards Youji. He stumbled back at the sudden slack. He recovered, knowing Aya was still lethal without his katana.

Aya charged at him, fists flying. Youji dodged the first, but the second landed on his cheek, sending him backwards. Youji thought to bolt inside the lab. He was only wasting time with Aya. He needed to get to Tsuji before Omi could. Or worse yet, Schwarz was running around loose. They were certainly a random, dangerous appearance. Who knew what the those head cases where up to, and Youji cursed Omi for inviting them back in to Weiss business.

As he ran, he noticed Aya recovered his katana and was in hot pursuit. Aya caught up to him deep in a hallway beside an elevator shaft that led down to Tsuji's lab. He had to get rid of Aya. He lashed out and Aya dodged. They stood, face-to-face, panting, trying to anticipate the next move. Youji started to wonder how, why, and when Aya had gone from a close friend to his mortal enemy. This wasn't how things should be between him and Aya, especially after enduring so much together. His choice to stand by Tsuji started to be tinged with guilt.

His resolved hardened once again, and he could see Aya's had, too. He readied himself after getting his second wind. They launched themselves for a final assault when an explosion rocked the laboratory. Hunks of ceiling rained down on them and Youji felt a sharp pain to his forehead before he blacked out.

* * *

Youji recovered after the initial shock and was dismayed to see Aya gone from the hallway. He certainly would be after Tsuji; that was something Youji wouldn't allow. He tracked down the hallways and through the labs, since one of the elevators was broken.

Several grotesque things lined the walls in tubes of liquid, but Youji remained undeterred. He stumbled on a computer and looked at the screen. It was then that Tsuji's full plans became a reality in Youji's mind. He watched as the information scrolled across. The reality that Tsuji was a mad scientist for Eszett, just like his previous, European lover, Michelle, hit him hard.

He heard Tsuji's voice echoing in the hallways. "The goal of the original experiment was to create a humanoid computer that could contain all of Eszett's data. However, as I continued to run experiments I realized something. If I'm able to activate a larger portion of the human brain, 30% more than what usually functions, I can create something close to a god."

Youji was staring at Tsuji and Aya from a cracked doorway, and Youji felt and crushing sense of regret. This woman should be everything repulsive to him. He'd let himself be deceived by Neu and lured into a trap; it all felt the same. He wanted to believe in the illusions Neu and Tsuji had created, but they were just illusions. The words, 'When you gonna learn?' echoed through his head.

Aya was facing down Tsuji. He said, "So, you've toyed with lives this way the entire time."

That statement cause a stabbing pain to Youji's head. He was one of Tsuji toys only he didn't want to admit it. Aya continued, "You got rid of Todo because he was of no use to you!"

"Well, don't you throw away things that have gotten old, Fujimiya-sensei?" She held out her hand to Aya, her eyes beautiful as always. "You can throw away the past and start anew. Don't you have any desire to live eternally?"

"No!"

"Don't tell me you're still upset about what happened to Asami-sensei."

"No matter how pitiful a past one has, or how sinful of a cross he is burdened with, I'll live with it all. If you you try to artificially rid yourself of sins, then you're as good as dead!"

"Dead?" Youji asked numbly to himself still spying on Tsuji and Aya from the other room.

"That's right. I'm dead," Asuka's voice sounded in his head.

"Asuka...?" He looked over to her apparition perched on a computer bank. Yuuko and Doumeki had been right; her appearances had gown more and more frequent and she seemed more and more real each time. "But that's not because of something you did. I had lost my soul before that, and I was as good as dead. Youji, you saved me."

"Saved you..." The reality of what she must have had to live through after they were shot and left for dead sunk into Youji; it had to have been a sinister existence to twist Asuka into Neu. He asked, "Did I?"

"That's why I can stay alive like this. I want you to stay alive. I don't want you to lose your soul." She stood and smiled at him. "Live, Youji. As long as you live, we'll be able to meet once again."

A soft breeze blew through the room and then she was gone. The computer room went cold and dark, with only a harsh blue glow for light. His heart ached, realizing he what he was about to hand over to Tsuji: the good memories of Asuka and his time with her.

Realizing he was about to sacrifice the only thing he had left of Asuka, his memories, was the heart ache Yuuko had required. Youji's throat went dry as he realized Hitsuzen was about to swallow him whole. Aya was correct in what he had just said to Tsuji. It sunk in that it wouldn't bring happiness to offer up his pure memories of Asuka to Tsuji. Aya was also correct to call Eszett a perversion.

Youji couldn't let Tsuji touch the only thing he had left of Asuka. He wasn't going to loose his memories, even if there was pain, there was also pleasure. No, he was going to rebel against Yuuko and Hitsuzen; he would reject his wish. Tsuji's voice in the other room snapped him out of his revere.

"The heart is something born of the mind. I can replace it however you'd like, using the program I created, with any information from the world."

Youji looked through the cracked door and wasn't surprised to see Aya's refusal with a lofted katana. She looked away in disdain and said, "What a stupid man..."

She swiftly dodged to the side and launched herself at Aya, she was almost too quick for him to defend against. She brought her fist up and was about to strike Aya. Youji lashed a wire around her wrist, catching her off guard.

He looked over to Aya and said, "Leave her to me."

"Youji!" Aya called out in surprise.

"Asuka is still alive," he explained, "I was about to let her die again."

There was confusion in Aya's eyes. "Youji," Aya said softly, and he knew his teammate's mind was thinking Youji had taken a certain fatalistic turn.

He assured Aya, "I'm going to live. But I have to end this battle myself in order to move forward." His thoughts move on to Omi, Ken, and Sena. "You go ahead."

"Youji, don't die," Aya said firmly and left to go find the others.

Tsuji then glared hotly at him. "Are you going to give up the new 'you' for the memories of that pitiful woman?"

"Yeah, she's such a weird woman. She's dead, but alive and well in my heart."

With that, Tsuji lashed out and knocked Youji half way across the floor. "You only have now to change your mind," she warned.

Youji felt his left shoulder, the throbbing pain caused him to worry that it was out of joint. A beeping from a computer caught Tsuji's attention and she went to it quickly, mouth agape. She used the touch screen controls in input some orders. "It's complete." She chuckled madly. "My god is complete. The world is ours!"

Frosty smoke bellowed from the cloning chamber. Youji watched in dread as Todo's clone opened his eyes. Her arms were held out as the clone stepped forward. "Now, you'll be the one to replace Epitaph."

"Wait," Youji called out, getting to his feet. She turned and gave him a vexed look.

"Do want to die that badly?" she said.

"I told you." He raised his right hand and got the tip of a wire ready. "I'm going to live."

The clone said, "Break."

Suddenly, the bone in Youji's right leg snapped. He cried out in pain before crumpling to the ground.

The clone then said, "Fly." He flung his hand towards the wall.

Youji was flung through the air with telekinesis. His head smashed into the wall. The last thing he was aware of before blacking out was Tsuji's wild, cackling laugher.

Awareness slowly came back. He was dizzy and in agony from his leg, however he looked around for Tsuji. There was a rumbling explosion and hunks of concrete rained down. One large slab smashed the cloning chamber, to Youji's delight. But he knew that wouldn't stop Tsuji's evil. He hobbled over to the main computer, pried open the side, and yanked out the hard drive.

He heard the elevator door open as the building's foundations rumbled. It was Tsuji, but she was too fixated to notice him braced against the wall. Tsuji ran in and gasped in horror at the smashed cloning chamber.

Youji quickly flung the end of a wire around her throat. She turned, startled. He asked, "Is this what you came looking for?"

"That's..." She said as Youji held up the hard dive. He smashed it to bits in his gloved hands.

"Do you understand how it feels to loose something precious?" He dropped the destroyed data.

Her face was the embodiment of rage as she ran towards him. "Youji!"

She leaped in the air and nailed him with a roundhouse. He landed hard against a wall. She promised, "I won't let you die easily."

She marched over, grabbed his neck, and lifted him into the air. She squeezed his neck so hard he was about to pass out.

Aya's voice hit his ear, reviving his determination. "Youji! Use this!"

He opened his eyes to see Aya toss his katana towards him. It embedded into a heap of rubble close by. He struggled until he wrapped his hand around the hilt. With the last bit of strength, he pushed her slightly back and brought the katana up, slicing Tsuji deep across her chest. Her blood arched in the air.

She stumbled back, eyes wide in distress. "Youji..." She gave one last gasp and fell dead at his feet. Youji tumbled to his knees, unable to support his weigh on his broken leg any longer. Another explosion rocked the building as Omi and Ken approach, standing by Aya in the balcony of the cloning room. He wasn't too pleased to see the deep wound on Ken's side. All that blood was trouble, plus Ken had an unhealthy pallor.

There was no way Aya and Omi could get Ken out quickly if they were dragging Youji along, as well. The building wasn't going to stay intact much longer. He had to find another way to survive, so the rest of Weiss could make it out alive. He used Aya's katana for support. "You guys... go ahead."

"We can't!" Omi shouted, his cheeks were glistening in the dim light. "There is no way we could leave you like this!"

"Are you crying again, Omi?" He had to assure the young man, because he knew Omi would be torn between rescuing Ken and him. He said calmly, "I'll catch up with you guys."

Ken's loyalty above his personal safety came out when he begged Youji, "Let's go home together."

"Yeah, we will," he promised with every intention in doing that. "Aya, I have to return this to you," Youji said, holding up the katana by the hilt. He looked at the sword as the building continued to tremble. Aya didn't for one minute hold Youji's rebellion against him and it humbled the ex-detective more than words could say. "I'll be back."

He was now at peace with Asuka. It was a horrible past he couldn't change, but he knew in his heart she didn't have malice. And yes, Weiss was his home now. Even when he tried to leave Weiss for Asuka's sake, it was a comfort having Aya, Ken, and Omi to fall back on. Not one moment did they give him any recrimination for the choices he made concerning Asuka, even when he ran off with her and then later on when he assassinated her as Neu. They just lent him support.

There was a warmth in his chest, knowing he had a home where he would no longer be haunted with memories of the past. He could move forward and forgive himself, just as the the three of them were so forgiving towards him.

He looked up and couldn't repress the smile on his lips. "The place for me is with you guys."

"Youji-kun..." Omi said, his cheeks getting wetter.

"I am... a Weiss," he affirmed in perfect tranquility.

"Wait for me," Aya said. Youji knew Aya was going to come down to help him in spite of the destruction. Loud explosions suddenly cut the way off as Omi bellowed, "Youji-kun!"

He fell through the floor and tumbled down a deep dark shaft. His head struck something hard and he was out cold.

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4:

Watanuki walked into the hospital room with the Lily of the Vally stems, once more in full bloom. Yuuko had him buy an ordinary white vase to put them in rather than the enchanted one they had rested in for months. The stems weren't bound by a ribbon, either.

He crept into the room and looked over at Kudou-san. His face was battered and his head wrapped up. His leg was in a cast; he looked an awful mess to Watanuki. He set the vase down along with the note Yuuko gave him to leave beside the vase.

"I hope you're now a satisfied customer," he said, before slipping out quietly.

* * *

He heard some rustling by his head, he grunted and tried to sit up. A woman's voice said, "Are you alright? Can you understand me?" Then she called out, "Doctor, please hurry. The patient in room 425 has regain consciousness!"

"Where am..." He put his hand on his throbbing head. "It hurts."

"This is a hospital. About a month ago, you were carried in here, unconscious. Can you tell me your name?"

He was baffled by the question as he tried to remember. "Name...?"

"My name... I can't remember..."

"Don't strain yourself. Let's take time and slowly recall your memory."

He looked up at the gorgeous nurse and felt his heart skip a beat. His eyes drifted down to her name tag. He read, 'Itou Asuka.'

The doctor came in and examined him and explained his condition. He was distressed by his memory loss, but the doctor assured him it would come back eventually. He accepted that and the nurse stayed behind making sure he was comfortable.

He asked her before she left, "Did I have any visitors?"

She paused and thought about it. "Yes. One a few days after you were brought in. He was a skinny teenager with glasses, but I could tell his eyes weren't the same color. He brought a vase of flowers and this note. Does he sound familiar?"

He shook he head as she handed him the note from the table, it read, 'Wishes do come true, and happiness is persistent.'

"He left this?" he asked.

"Yes, and a vase full of Lily of the Vally. They were really some of the prettiest I'd ever seen. He left before I could ask him if he knew you. I'm sorry about that."

"No matter. It'll all come back to me," the blond man said, folding the note and putting back on his nightstand.

* * *

Itou Ryo finished putting on his yellow tie. He now smelled coffee coming from the kitchen. It had been a year since he'd been released from the hospital and six month since he had married Itou Asuka. He still had no clue about his former life, but wasn't worried all the time about it. Just from time to time he wondered about what his life was like, what kind of person he was, and what he used to do for a living. He did take comfort in this pleasant life with Asuka.

He left their bedroom and saw her at the kitchen table. "Good morning. Breakfast is ready."

"Good."

She came over to him with a cheery smile. "You're necktie is too loose."

She tightened it and he said, "Sorry."

"We're married. There is no need to say sorry." She was so understating with him and infinitely patient. His mind drifted back to when he was in the hospital. That's when he started falling in love with Asuka. She had so much concern for him, a total stranger with no past.

He remembered overhearing her one morning asking his doctor about his memory loss. The doctor gave her little hope, saying the technology just wasn't there to heal him. He had sunk into a deep depression over the news. That afternoon, he rejected his lunch and went for a walk in the small park at the side of the hospital.

He sat on a bench and stared at the water fountain. He willed himself to remember, but it just wasn't coming. The only clue was a mystery note from a boy and the tattoo on his arm. It was a pair of wings with the phrase, 'When you gonna learn?' It must have meant something at one time, but now it was meaningless.

He touched his head as it started to ache with the effort of drawing forth memories. Asuka was on duty, dressed in her nurse's uniform. She sat beside him and noted, "So you were over here." She continued when he didn't respond, "If you strain yourself too much, everything will get jumbled up. What's more important now is that you solidify your world one piece at a time. Isn't that the priority? You don't live in the past. You live in the present and future." His eyes focused on her. She blushed and and looked embarrassed. "I didn't even consider your feelings and I'm saying all this."

"It's okay. Thanks."

"I'm Itou Asuka," she said, finally introducing herself in a more casual way.

"Asuka. That's a nice name," he told her.

He came back to the present and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. They ate their breakfast and Ryo checked his watch. He had to be off to work. Even though he was the personal assistant to Asuka's brother at the advertising firm, he didn't want to strain the relationship at all. He always was diligent and he enjoyed the job a great deal.

On his way out he grabbed the trash. Asuka, as was her custom, escorted him downstairs from their apartment. Some of the other wives from the apartment building were clustered around the dumpster, chatting. He heard one say, "So I told him 'Just don't lie around, do something for the family on Sunday at least'."

"Good morning," Asuka greeted the women. They turned and watch Ryo place the trash bag away.

"I'm so jealous of you, having a kind husband," the woman who was complaining said.

"I know," one of the others agreed.

Ryo turned and said, "Oh no, she has a job as well, so we decided when we got married that we would split the chores.

"I'd love to hear my idiot husband say something like that," the complainer said, giving Ryo a smile of approval.

"I'll get going," he said, bidding Asuka farewell.

"What time will you be home tonight?" she asked. He paused and turned. His schedule was pretty hectic because they were rolling out a new ad for perfume.

"Probably around eight. Should I buy something on the way home?"

"No, it's fine. Have a safe trip." He nodded and left, basking in warmth and happiness.

* * *

[One year later.]

"What's on your mind. You've been so quiet," Ryo asked. He reached over and took her hand. "Is it about earlier? About what you asked me?"

"About having a baby? Yes, you seemed surprised. I just thought it might be time to start a family. It just seems like you're not sure."

"Well, I really want to." He gave her one of his charming smiles. "Nothing would make me happier than to start a family with you."

"You really mean it?"

"Yes, I've been thinking about it for a while. You seem so happy watching the children around the neighborhood when they play in park." He stood up and gently tugged at her hand, a sly smile coming to his face. "We could start now."

"Ryo! Our dinner would get cold."

"And I'll reheat it. Come on, beautiful. Time to be a little spontaneous," Ryo said, now tugging her out of her chair. He had these fits of spontaneity quite frequently, to her delight. She followed him to the bedroom, holding his hand tighter.

* * *

He left the next morning for work, as usual, however she had the day off. She did some light housework and decided to go for a walk. She went down a street she'd walked dozens of time. She paused when she noticed a house in a place that had always been an empty lot. It stood between two large, modern office buildings.

She noticed a pair of girls around the age of ten playing in the front yard. They were chasing after butterflies in glee. She felt a smile come to her lips as she wandered into the yard. The girls paused when she got close.

"A customer!" they chanted in cheerful unison. They each latched onto one of her hands and dragged her towards the large, old house.

"But... I'm not... I was just passing by," she explained as they got her past the threshold and walked her down a long hallway. They stopped tugging her when they reached a large double doorway. The door was green with a yellow, crescent moon on it.

"But you certainly have some wish." The voice behind the door sounded like a young male. The girls each took a door and slid it back. She was astonished to see someone so young, he looked all of sixteen, surrounded by so many old, ornate items. He set aside an antique book and gave her a warm smile. His raven colored coat reached down to his ankles and his slacks looked impeccably pressed and starched.

"Welcome to my shop," he greeted her with a serene smile. She noticed with a chill he had heterochromatic eyes behind his glasses. There was something important she should remember about heterochromatic eyes, she just couldn't grasp why that dull brown and bright blue seemed to cause such a pause.

"A shop? What are you selling here? These antiques?"

"Wishes," he answered pleasantly. "You have a wish you want granted. I'll do it for a price."

"For some reason you look familiar. Have we met?"

"Once, in passing. But tell me about your wish first."

"Well," she started off, trying to focus on one thing she really wanted. She set aside the oddness of the situation, always enjoying fortunetellers and such things at carnivals. It could be fun to see what he'd say. "My husband and I are trying to have a baby."

"That should be a wonderful thing, but you sound nervous," the young man pointed out, sitting up straighter. He looked over to the girls. "Mono, Maru, go get that cedar box with the skull carved on it. I'll need it in a little bit."

"Cedar box, cedar box!" they chanted in glee and jogged off to parts unknown. He turned his attention back to her.

"So, how did you meet your husband?" He asked, but she had the feeling this teenage boy already knew something.

"At the hospital I work at. He was a patient that had severe trauma. He still has no memories of his past life. But in spite of all that, we're so happy. He's a generous, loving husband. He's always so considerate. I love him very much."

"So now do you have a clearer picture of your wish?"

She paused and thought about the one thing that kept Ryo so reserved sometimes: his lack of memory. It recently wore on him and he confided to her that he feared what he used to be. After all, when he came to the hospital, it appeared as if he came out on the bad end of some violence. She pushed that aside because the person she knew wasn't violent in the least. Plus, if she was to have a baby with this man, shouldn't she know his medical history and practical things about his family history? It just made good sense.

"Yes, I'd like my husband to have his memories back. I think it would give him some peace of mind about starting a family."

He paused and cocked his head to the right. "Do you have a picture?"

She got into her purse and produced a picture of them on their honeymoon at the beach. He took it between slender fingers. A subtle frown played at his lips as his mismatched eyes studied the photo. "I can't grant that particular wish."

"What? Why not?"

"Because this man was a customer of this shop a few years ago. He got two wishes granted from Yuuko-san, the previous owner. I can't violate any wish she has granted. She taught me that a person's wish must be respected and not snatched away from them because of someone else's love for that person."

She thought about it carefully and asked, "So his wish had to do with his memory loss?"

"His second one." The boy stood up and beckoned her to follow him down the hallway. She followed him to a front parlor where she sat across a round table from him. He placed the photo on the table. "There is an indirect way to make part of this wish come true."

"Why don't you tell me who he... wait a minute! I know you. You're that boy that brought him the Lily of Vally flowers when he first got to the hospital. Then you do know who he is!"

"I can't tell you who he is because he made his wishes with Yuuko-san, not me, so I don't have the same ties to him, but someone your husband knew is about to pass by my gate to make a wish. He'll tell you who your husband is."

"So I can find out who he is and tell him?"

"You can find out about who you married if that's your wish. I have some warnings for you."

"What are they?" She asked, getting irritated that this teen wouldn't just tell her what he knew.

"Your happiness with this knowledge will taint your married life with sorrow for a few years. And..." The boy shook his head and sighed. "You really won't like the man who tells you these things. You could be burdened with hatred for him."

"Hatred? I could never... no... surely you're exaggerating. I'm a nurse who's devoted her whole life to helping and saving people no matter who they are. Listen, if it means I can put my husband's mind at ease, then I should find out."

"Then I'll take my payment." He reached over and took her left hand in both his of his. He removed her diamond engagement ring and wedding band.

"Wait a minute! Those are very special to me! I can't just give them to you. They're a symbol of the love Ryo has for me."

He leaned forward, extremely close, with a serene smile. "What's more important to you at this moment? The symbol or knowing who he was?"

She felt her face get hot at the question. "His memories, of course."

"Did you ever hear the story of Cupid and Psyche?"

"Yes, in college. Psyche didn't really know who her husband was so she hid a lamp to see his face when he was sleeping. She did and it lead to grief and misery for her, but there was happiness in the end because she was able to stay with her husband and have a daughter with him."

"Keep that story in mind over the next several years," the teen warned.

The girls came bursting in, the one with the pink hair lofted the box, while the one with the blue hair pointed. They chanted in delight at the teen, "We have it, Watanuki, Watanuki, Watanuki!"

"Good girls!" He took the box from them and gave them fond pats on their heads. He removed the top and took out two long, white ribbons. In their place, he put her wedding bands. He clamped the lid with the skull down and handed it to the blue haired girl. "Take this back to the warehouse for safe keeping."

"Safe keeping! Safe keeping!" they chanted as they scampered away.

"I do have to make one final warning. Because of the nature of your husband's last wish with Yuuko-san, you must never reveal a thing you learn from the man you're about to meet."

"Why?" she said, getting an icy dread in her heart.

"It'll become evident when you hear his story. If you want to maintain your husband as is, you'll keep everything you know to yourself. Understand?"

"Yes! I want to know now that you've implied there's something sinister in his past."

"Go to my front yard. A man who knows your husband extremely well will enter in a few minutes seeking sanctuary and a wish. Both, I'll provide."

He took the photo off the table and handed it to her. "You'll know when to show him that." She followed him out into the front yard. She stood by the front gate, expecting something to happen.

"What am I...?" There was a loud police siren off in the distance to the left. Before it got too close, a man in prison blues stepped through the gate, sweating and panting. She gasped when she saw the long knife in his hand and the hardened look in his eyes.

He was about to hide behind the fence when Watanuki said, "Don't worry. They won't see you if you stay within the yard."

The young man swirled around and lofted the knife at Watanuki. The teen remained totally placid, a small smile played at his lips. "Hide me or else!"

"I don't need to." Police ran past the lot, not even pausing to give it a curious glance. "Now that's over, it's time for me to talk about the wish you have, the one that allowed you to come through my front gate."

"Are you for real, kid? I'm a dangerous man. I don't have time to put up with you!"

"Come inside. I have clothes you can wear, and I'll get you some food. Then we'll talk."

The man had a shrewdness in his eyes as he looked the the slight teen up and down. He then nodded. "Don't think about turning me in."

Watanuki gave a sly glanced over the top of his glasses before turning to walk back into his wish shop. Asuka lowered her hands; she had her fingertips pressed tightly to her lips. The young man's eyes narrowed before he snapped at her, "Stop staring!"

"You're a criminal."

"What gave it away?" he asked sarcastically as he walked towards the wish shop. She followed behind. Now she had to know what a criminal ever had to do with her husband. Watanuki had her wait in the parlor with him while the two girls took a set of fresh clothes to the criminal.

"Aren't you afraid for those girls to be alone with him?"

He shook his head, no concern was visible. "He would sooner chop off his own hand than ever harm a child. He loves them too much, and misses teaching them."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"It's complicated," he answered as the girls bounded back into the parlor, joyful.

"Go talk with him. After that, you can send him to me."

She went down the hallway and stopped where a door was cracked. She heard some rustling inside. She watched him pull on a teeshirt in the dim light and was shocked to see several hacking scars. One really deep scar on his back was were his his left kidney should be. When he turned slightly, she could see a matching scar on his muscular abdomen right before he tugged the hem of the shirt down. It looked as if someone had stabbed him all the way through. She reminded herself of Ryo's state when he was brought to the hospital and her surprise left her.

"You're watching me, aren't you, lady? I can smell your perfume," he said, sitting on a rolled out futon. Now he was fully dressed in a teeshirt, jeans, and sneakers. "Come in."

She did, but left the door open. She sat on a chair just out of his arms reach. "This shop owner told me you know my husband. You see, I met him two years ago. He was a patient at the hospital I work at. He had amnesia and several horrible injuries."

"Two years ago? That's when I was put away by Omi-kun..." He shook his head fiercely. "I should say, Takatori Mamoru. It wasn't his fault that the prison wardens switched and the man that got promoted wanted to cut down on Takatori influence at the prison. You see, Takatori-san put me in there with the agreement I could leave when I got my head back together." The young man got a haunted look as he clenched his hands together so tight they were turning white. "I needed to be locked up for my own good. But anyway... the original warden understood I could leave whenever I was ready to be in society again. Turns out, the new warden didn't like me very much because of my friendship with Mamoru-san."

"I know that name. Takatori Mamoru. He's very wealthy and is known for his philanthropy. He's donated large sums of money to the hospital. You're friends with him?" She had no clue what this criminal would have to do with both her husband and a wealthy jet-setter. There was a temptation to jump up and ask Watanuki for her rings back so she could flee before the answer was revealed.

He gave a curt nod. "My name is Hidaka Ken, by the way. Mamoru-san and I were close, once upon a time. Now he has other concerns; we're no longer traveling the same path. But you said that kid told you I know your husband?"

"Yes, please tell me who he is." She handed him the photo with two hands, careful to not brush fingers with Ken. He took the photo, glanced at it, and shook his head. She was a little amazed to see his eyes soften and glisten.

"So that's what happened to him. Aya never did find him. I was in the hospital myself and Youji was in bad shape, too." He handed back the photo, his expression was very grim. "His name is Kudou Youji. We used to have two jobs together."

"Youji," she tried the name out, looking at her husband's face on the photo. "I've only known him as Itou Ryo. He picked the name Ryo a few weeks after he woke up. And when we got married, it just made sense for him to take my last name. My name is Itou Asuka."

Hidaka's jaw came unhinged and he asked, "Are you kidding?"

"No, why?"

"Well, when I knew him he was an ex-detective that came to work for the same organization I did. He left the detective business because his partner, Murase Asuka, was killed. Or so he thought, but that's a long story."

An unpleasant jolt hit her at picturing her husband with another woman named Asuka. Logically, she knew her husband had to have had other relationships, but this was disconcerting. "I've got time. Start by telling me how he was your co-worker."

"Well, we worked at a flower shop during the day."

"He went from being a detective to being a florist? How bizarre."

Hidaka suddenly flushed and look a little shamefaced. "Not if you knew what we did for our night work. The flower shop was a cover. There were two others with us: Mamoru-san, and Fujimiya Aya. At night we accepted missions for a secret organization that went after criminals that escaped justice. We'd go and assassinate them to stop them from hurting innocent victims."

Asuka felt the breath knocked out of her. The news that Ryo was a former assassin would have never come to her wildest dreams. "Tell me what happened. How he came to lose his memory?"

"We went to go investigate a boarding school that was trying to twist the students into these arrogant, combat dolls. He was posing as an art teacher, but fell for one of targets employed at the school. I think he was just trying to find some comfort after losing Asuka. Sorry... the one he used to know. He turned on us during the mission and Aya dealt with him. He came to and took down the target. We lost track of him when an explosion hit. I was wounded pretty bad, so Aya had to stay with me. There was a search to find Youji later, but he was never recovered. I guess, now I know why."

It was a horrific idea, one she couldn't wrap her head around. She slowly looked over at the young man. It dawned on her she was sitting alone in the same room as a killer and that Watanuki was fully aware of what the man was. A flare of anger at the wish shop owner hit.

"Ryo is the man I know now. He'd never do anything like murder," she said.

Ken's eyes narrowed. "Well, Youji is the one I knew and I saw him do it plenty of times! He didn't enjoy what he was doing. Not in the least. He wanted to quit, more than me even. It's not something most people understand."

She quietly processing what he said for a few moments. "The shop owner implied that he wished he'd lose his memories. I see why."

Ken looked thoughtful for a minute. "I bet it was because of his former girlfriend, that first Asuka. That was so hard on him."

"What happened? Did she pass away?"

"Well, he thought she was dead, but she actually survived. She had no memories of her life with him and was programed into being an assassin herself. She was a part of a group called Schreient we fought. She never remembered him and she was going to kill him. He had to defend himself," Ken looked away with heaviness in his eyes. The implication soured her stomach.

"He killed her, didn't he?"

"You have to understand, she was going to kill him, without mercy or pity. They twisted her into a hard, cold killer and it tore his heart to pieces. After that, he was sort of adrift. That's why he fell into that one target's clutches so easily at the boarding school."

"Target! Wasn't she a person?" Asuka spat out, disgusted how casually Ken talked about taking a life.

"Not that one. She was unmitigated evil. Keep in mind, we only killed people who were hellbent on ruining innocent lives. That woman was creating a clone from a boy, one that could easily enslave humanity with his psychic powers. There is a whole world out there you don't know about. It's people like us that keep it contained, and we pay a heavy price to do it," Ken explained.

She stood, and said coolly, "I know everything I need to know. Thank you, Hidaka-san."

He nodded and stood as well. He looked awkward for half a minute. "Listen, for what it's worth, the man I knew was always a kind person underneath his bravado. That's what took its toll on him. He was always trying to do the right thing in a dark world."

"The shop owner wanted to see you after we were finished."

Ken suddenly gave her the most charming smile, but it left her quite cold. "Great! I know what I'll ask for."

There was some trepidation over what Ken would ask for, so she followed him to the parlor where Watanuki waited, sipping some tea. There was a suitcase packed by an empty chair. Watanuki pointed at it. "Food, clothes, and everything you'll need to start fresh. Itou-san," he said, turning to Asuka. "Please stay for Hidaka-san's wish. You'll want to hear the result."

Ken sat in the empty chair. "So how does this work? I mean, I believe you can do whatever. After messing around with Schwarz this isn't so far-fetched."

"No, I suppose not," Watanuki said, brightly. "You'll tell me what you wish for, and I'll grant it for a price that's equal to the wish."

"Okay, my wish is to be back with Weiss, the way we were. I miss all of them terribly," Ken said. Asuka's stomach fluttered and she found that she, indeed, detested this man for wishing her husband was an assassin once again.

"I can't grant that wish. I would be directly granting you a wish to kill people. The cost of that wish would instantly take your life. Besides, Kudou-san's wish can't be trumped by you, no matter how much affection you have for him."

Ken slumped in the chair. Asuka could tell he was deflated by the news, so her ire spiked. "Why would you wish for such a horrible, twisted thing? Are you that sick?"

His eyes moved towards her. "They were my family. I want them back."

"If it's the camaraderie you want back, that I can grant," Watanuki said, "But not in the way you pictured. Kudou-san is gone. His life is already changed because of his deal with Yuuko-san."

"As far as Mamoru-san, he's not the same person I knew and grew fond of. He's given up being Omi, and he seems to have a different priority in life. When I called him last month, he was so cool. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I need to let him be, don't I?"

"If he were to rejoin you as a Weiss member, you'd only grow to hate him if what you said is true," Watanuki confirmed.

Ken's glum expression brightened. "Then Aya! I knew there would come a day when I would have everything in my head straightened out and could see Aya again. That's my wish then, to be with Aya for the rest of my life."

"No matter what Fujimiya-san is doing?" Watanuki asked, flatly.

"But this woman could be still committing murders," Asuka blurted out.

Ken gave her an annoyed look. "Aya is a man going by his sister's name." Asuka flushed at her assumption at the feminine name and the way Ken was gushing on romantically as if wanting to take a vow with this person. "His sister was put into a coma and he adopted her name until his revenge was complete. Well, now she's awake, but the name just stuck to him," he explained.

"It doesn't matter. I'd work selling flowers again... whatever it takes. For the rest of my life, I want to be with him," Ken declared firmly.

"Your price has been paid. You'll loose Kudou-san and Takatori-san permanently as friends. However, you gain Fujimiya-san as an intimate partner. You'll forever miss your two friends, but take comfort that Fujimiya-san will fill that gap at the times you need it."

"How do I find him? He's been doing free-lance work and side jobs with the Crashers. Queen and Knight would never tell me where he is. They're still pissed off at Grandpa Takatori for putting a hit on Aya during that whole Koua Academy affair. They give me the cold shoulder when I tried to contact them to ask after him. They act as if Mamoru-san had something to do with the hit; and they act as if I'm still good friends with him. Both very annoying assumptions. Knight is such a rude, pigheaded jackass about letting me know about Aya. Queen may be polite, but she's every bit as stubborn."

Watanuki knotted the white ribbons he'd had his girls go fetch. He placed them on a ceramic plate on the table. As he stood he said, "Knight and Queen are very minor obstacles to me. Thankfully, Schwarz isn't the obstacle. Speaking of which," he turned to Asuka, "the minute you speak a word of anything Hidaka-san has told you, Schwarz will be able to find him and drag your husband back into this life. There would be nothing I could do to stop them once they detected him. Remember what I said earlier: because of the nature of your husband's last wish with Yuuko-san, you must never reveal a thing you learned from the man you're about to meet. Is this evident to you now?"

Ken looked up at her with a somber expression. "He cannot defend himself against those four lunatics alone. They'll come and kill him out of spite. Heck, they'd kill him and you just for giggles. Trust me, you and Youji-kun are better off keeping to yourselves."

"Okay, for his safety, I won't say a thing. I don't want him to go back to his old life," she agreed.

"Good, now we have an understanding. Time for me to send you on your way, Hidaka-san." Watanuki walked over to a sideboard and removed a match and a fan. He walked over to the plate with the ribbons. "These hair ribbons came from someone very special to me who infused them with her bad luck. They were used to help me bring a child's spirit to rest, save a hydrangea, and to save my life. So they're infused, also, with the stains of the in between realm. I'm going to use their essence to stain you, Hidaka-san. No matter where you are in all of Tokyo, Fujimiya-san will smell it and be attracted to the odor. You see, the stain of all those murders he's committed over the years has fused itself to his soul. His soul will recognize the odor of the in between realm, and... well... you're asking for a very unfortunate and hard life to be by his side. He'll sense that too, and he'll respond to your sacrifice. I do wish you some happiness, thought."

Watanuki lit the match and dropped it on the plate. Asuka watched the ribbons burn, grateful for this outcome. This man wouldn't be a part of her husband's life again, nor would the past come up if she held on to the secret. Watanuki fanned the thick, bluish smoke drifting off the ribbons towards Ken. He started choking for a few seconds. He flinched back from the odor, but she couldn't smell what he was. Finally, the last ember died away.

"Thank you," Ken said. He picked up the suitcase and left without glancing back.

"So, our transaction is finished. Like Yuuko-san told your husband a few years ago, there will be a return to happiness," Watanuki said, with sincerity.

"Thank you," she murmured and left the wish shop with a heavy heart.

* * *

Asuka's tears finally dried a half an hour before Ryo was due home. There was first and foremost a fear that someone from his past would show up, even though Watanuki assured her the only way someone would do it is if she said something. The potential that someone could kill her husband out of revenge made her so anxious that she wanted to call him, but every time she tried to dial she sobbed uncontrollably.

Now that her tears were dry, resentment at Ryo cropped up. She knew it wasn't rational, but she couldn't help it. His former life was now hanging like a dark cloud over her wedded bliss. The idea that her husband had committed murder, no matter the circumstance, was unbearably odious to her. She transferred her revulsion towards Ken, it was safer for her marriage that way.

How could she have a child with this man, now, let alone remain married to him? What if he were caught and jailed? She was pondering this when Ryo opened the door, carrying a sack. He gave her a warm smile. "I thought we'd have a treat tonight. It's Chinese."

She couldn't hold back tears at seeing him in person. She flopped down on the the sofa and sobbed. She felt his hands on her shoulders instantly. He helped her sit up and took her in his arms. She hugged him tightly and was able to control her tears finally as he tried to sooth her by rubbing her back.

He asked, "What's got you so upset, Asuka?"

There was a moment where she almost blurted out what she knew. She choked on the words and looked down at her hands. "I lost my wedding set today when I went for a walk. I'm so upset because I want it back."

"Oh darling, I'll go and look for it. Where did you loose it?"

She shook her head. "I'm sure it's gone."

He rubbed her shoulder and gave her a smile. "Then I'll buy you another one. I promise. I'll take you shopping tomorrow after work and you can pick out anything."

She nodded and swallowed to get rid of the lump in her throat. A new ring couldn't replace what she'd lost. He stood up and caressed her cheek. "Tell you what, come help me set dinner on the table. It's your favorite."

In no time, they had their dinner in front of them and Ryo started talking about his day at the ad agency. Her mind wasn't on what he was saying, she was wondering if she could be happy with him again. She didn't come around until he handed her a fortune cookie.

"What's it say?" Ryo asked.

She read the tiny scrap of paper and reached across the table to take his hand. "Happiness will prevail."

* * *

Ken wandered around Tokyo's busy streets, coughing occasionally and getting dizzier with each step. He was impatient for his wish to work. Aya was supposed to find him and he wanted it to be soon. He closed his eyes and pictured Aya's violet eyes. He couldn't walk another step. He found himself drifting towards the sidewalk, but strong arms caught him, easing him downwards. He opened his eyes and felt a heavenly bliss when he met those violet eyes. The overwhelming headiness left him.

"Ken-kun? What are you doing out of prison?" Aya asked, helping Ken to his feet again.

"I'm ready to leave. I'm at peace with who I am and am ready to live the rest of my life with the same integrity you have."

Aya nodded, but his face remained devoid of emotion. "Persia knows you're out?"

"I tried to let him know. I had to escape."

Aya's eyes darted up and down the street. "My place is close by."

Ken followed Aya to a small apartment building, now feeling clear headed again. Aya's apartment was like he'd expected: bare of decoration and minimal furniture. Ken set the suitcase he'd been given and knelt by it.

"I was promised some food," he explained. He opened it and found a two large containers and a note. Let's see..." Ken read the note out loud, "Some of my special oden and rice balls. Enough for you to share with Fujimiya-san while you get reacquainted. Enjoy, Watanuki."

"Who's Watanuki?" Aya asked.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Aya took the oden and rice balls; he served them at a small table. Ken took a sip of the oden. "Wow! This is the best I've ever had."

"Yeah, this is wonderful."

Ken looked around and noticed a couple of cardboard boxes by the door along with two large suitcases. "So are you moving?"

"To London. Persia found a new Weiss team for me to lead over there. Eszett may be gone in Japan, but Europe is a hot bed of their activities. Besides, I don't want to rejoin the Crashers. Things with Knight and Persia are getting complicated and hostile. It's for the best to get out of the situation where I'm caught in between them."

"Good," Ken said with a snort, but knew better than to say anything negative about Knight or any of the other Crashers to Aya's face. The word London stabbed at Ken's heart, though. He'd paid a price for his wish and now it seemed he was going to be cheated out of being with Aya. He ignored it for now. "I found out what happened to Youji today."

Aya's eyebrow quirked. "He's alive?"

"Yeah, and married. He has a case of amnesia and doesn't remember a thing, according to his wife. She didn't like to find out about us, but she'll keep quiet."

Aya took in the news and finally said, "That's for the best. Even though he said he wanted to come back with us, I doubted he would have stayed for long."

"Yeah," Ken agreed, glumly. "She said he was happy. I hope so."

"I do, too."

"So you talked to Mamoru-san? Lately?"

"Yes."

"Is he happy?"

"Not really," Aya said, before polishing off the heavenly oden. "But I think he's satisfied with the responsibility of carrying on the Takatori legacy. Rex finally persuaded him to create a fifth generation Weiss. He wasn't going to, but Nagi passed along word that a small team of Rosen Kreuz graduates have come to Tokyo."

Ken sneered. "Then let Schwarz handle them."

"Crawford has his reasons he won't move them back to Japan. Evidently, Schwarz has problems of their own in Germany. Persia seems to trust Nagi, but a leopard doesn't change its spots."

"So that's why you're headed towards London?"

"I'm needed there, and I can keep an eye on Schwarz," Aya answered simply.

"When are you leaving?"

"Soon." Aya stood and picked up the used dishes. Ken watched his back as he rinsed them out.

"I don't want you to leave me."

Aya looked over his shoulder. "Come with me. Help build up the London Weiss. I need someone with experience. And if your heart and mind are clear, then I need you with me."

Ken's heart thudded painfully in his chest. Without hesitation, "That sounds perfect."

"I'll call Persia tomorrow so he can arrange an airline ticket for you. In the meanwhile..." Aya turned around and walked over to the kitchen table. "... I'm guessing you don't have a place to stay. I have a spare futon and you can stay with me until we leave."

Ken gave him a dry chuckle and lop-sided smile. "I'm sure I'll be more comfortable here than I was on a prison cot."

End.


End file.
